Mothers of victims of hate crimes fight against people

Wiping her tears after crying bitterly, Fatima Nafis, mother of JNU
student Najeeb Ahmed who has been missing
since October 16, 2016 after his fight with some right-wing
students at the campus, resolved:“We have no tears to shed now. We
are here not to cry but to convey to all mothers and others not to
get scared. We will fight till we get justice.”
Fatima and Saira Khan, mother of Junaid Khan who
was stabbed to death by a mob while returning home in Haryana after
Eid shopping in June 2017, narrated the heart-wrenching stories at
a talk titled “Is India failing to safeguard religious minorities?”
at Haj House on Saturday. Though grief-stricken, the two women
sounded combative and exhorted Indians to rise against the culture
of hate and harassment being created in the country.

“I am not educated but I educated my children with great
difficulty. They assaulted Najeeb and the CBI has closed the case
just to send a message that the weak should not educate their
children and not speak against injustice. Let me tell them that we
will not be silenced. And I call upon all Indians especially
Muslims that education alone will ensure you respect and dignity,”
said Najeeb’s mother.

Junaid’s mother Saira accused the cops of collaborating with the
accused and trying to make the case weak. “All the six accused have
been granted bail. I am running from pillar to post for justice
while the murderers are on bail. The police tried to coerce me into
silence, but I will not keep quiet,” declared Saira.

City Congress’s minority cell chairman and the programme’s convener
Babu Khan told TOI: “We invited these two gutsy mothers because we
want to send a message that the atmosphere of fear will not last
long.” Student leader and the meet’s co-convener Fahad Ahmed
slammed the government for failing to punish the guilty of mob
lynching. Congress city president Sanjay Nirupam announced that all
the cases of mob lynching will be reopened if his party came to
power in 2019. “Najeeb, Junaid and families of other victims of mob
lynching will get justice,” promised Nirupam.